Spectators flooded the stands on Friday and Saturday night to witness contestants compete in nightly showdowns: bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping and more. 

An hour after gates opened, rodeo competitions began at 6:30 p.m. Many attendees flocked to find their seats, donning their rodeo gear: flared jeans, dusted cowboy boots, western-themed button-up shirts, glimmering belt buckles, topped off with wide-brimmed cowboy hats.

Spectators cheered for regional and foreign athletes as scorekeepers displayed ride times over digital scoreboards located on the east and west-side stands.

“I think it’s so cool that they’re these insanely big, beefy animals and we’re just putting all our trust in them,” said Emma Summerill, a spectator attending opening night. “All for eight seconds, too? That’s crazy.” 

Between rodeo competitions, event staff played upbeat country and rock music on overhead speakers, challenged the audience with dance competitions and passed out free merchandise, while the announcer and rodeo clown exchanged comedic commentary. 

When competitions and celebrations came to a close, the rodeo staff hosted end-of-night performances. These performances included a drone show and closing concerts featuring local artist Charley Jenkins and headlining singer-songwriter, Chancey Williams.

During the two performances, across two nights, the audience gathered in front of the stage to sing along and line dance while artists played a mixture of original and covered music. 

On Saturday, 29 individuals were honored for National Day of the American Cowboy. Every July, one person is nominated from each county for the preservation of a western lifestyle. All 29 honorees were brought into the rodeo arena where spectators applauded as each representative was announced one-by-one for their contributions. 

“I guess it’s an honor for Ogden to honor those people,” said professional bull jumper Emmanuel “Manu” Lataste, who performed Friday night. “It’s the right thing to do. Those people have worked for the rodeo industry, so they have to get on stage.”

Garrett Gleave, a fourth-generation farmer, rancher and honoree of Paiute County, described being nominated as a special moment. “They’ve done it for a long time and it’s pretty exciting to be nominated for Paiute,” Gleave said.

Spencer Fox Eccles stadium will continue to host daily rodeo activities, along with specialty events such as Miss Rodeo and Patriot Night, concluding the series of events Thursday, on Pioneer Day. 

As Pioneer Days braces for a packed crowd, community members reflect over its history.

“It’s been 91 years this year, which is cool,” said facilities coordinator Dave Casperson. “So, we just keep building on that legacy that [was] laid out before.”

Ogden Pioneer Days is a yearly tradition with its roots dating back to 1934. According to the event’s official website, the annual rodeo started as a celebration to commemorate the settlement of Ogden as a way of boosting the spirits of locals in the years of the Great Depression. The rodeo also served as a method of increasing tourism to Ogden. 

The attraction grew into a yearly tradition where it would be inducted into the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, or PRCA, in 2017, being recognized as the only Hall of Fame inducted rodeo in the state of Utah. 

Tracy Smith, the Horse and Hitch Parade director, commented on the renovations that were made to make this year’s rodeo become a reality,

“We have a new arena. It’s all brand new and it’s made it a ton easier for us,” Smith said.

As stated by Casperson, stadium renovations include the addition of 1,200 box seats to the south side of the stadium and additional upgrades to the west side of the arena. Casperson also commented on plans to upgrade all the seats on the north side of the stadium.

“They’ve done a lot to revamp this arena, bring in outside sponsors, bring in big names, using the Air Force Base flyovers, things like that,” Jared Sumerill, an Ogden local and former volunteer said. “It’s heartwarming that this is home and our home is beautiful. It’s on the map and it’s one of the top rodeos in the country, in our little town.”

Tickets can be bought at stadium gates or the Ogden Pioneer Days website, ranging from $20 to $120.